The many faces of the "Black Boat" which early on was really dark blue. This is the 38' that is most recognized as the "Super Hero" boat.

First as EBEL (1989), see the guy behind the boat with the Popeyes cap on looking down that was Doc. See the Super Hero at the rear of the boat.

Second as M-23 in Key West 1989

Third as P-23 when the boats were kept behind my father's house in NJ with my wife on the trailer (we were waiting for the NJ shop to get finished during this time period)

More "Black Boat" and it's Big Sister at the NJ race and diesel devlopement shop. Before you ask why NJ? At this point we had very strong ties with Cummins engine company for future product developemnt and a possible lower Hp line with Seatek. All paperwork and support was going thru Cummins Metro Power in NJ/NY.

We had an 8 vane Clayton water dyno and our electric dyno there as well. The NJ shop which was Henry Luhrs very first shop and earlier used by Wellman was where I moved my machine shop and Superflow dyno. This was where we could build any engine part from nothing but a block of metal and play with them until things broke, blew up or ran damm good!!!

1) #38 as most people knew her, with her new paint job to match th Gancia dei Gancia with the boxes and stripe from side to side across the deck.

2) #38 along side #46 which was the Gancia

3) #46 alone the renamed & painted Gancia dei Gancia

After this point in time the internal struggles as to who could get more of Kitami's money to spend became really bad. Up till then it was one big happy family at least here in the US.

Beautiful boats Habana Joe. I love the black hulled boat with the grey deck. What kind of drives are those with the straight shaft coming from the transom?

The drives are first generation Tri-Max's non-trimable fixed at if I recall 4 deg or 6 deg downward?

What ever happend to that 38 ?

I would love to have that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Race it in P-3 or even 2 . WOW:cool:

It was broken so many times, it was finally put to the chainsaw. In the Pt Pleasant race Sirois, Bush and myself saw a crack that went from the middle of the dash to left and over the gunnel didn't think much of it, stress crack?

About 3/4 through our feet started getting wet and we looked down and water was all around. We manned the hand bilge pump because the electrics could not keep up. After the race we ran like hell through the Squan up to the pits and cut everyone off at the crane and by the time we started to lift her water was over the floor boards.

The crack went from center dash all the way to the keel!!!!! It was repaired but kept breaking - time to say good bye.

Kitami asked Fabio Buzzi to build him a 63' boat for the Around Italy race. There was much pissing and moaning on both sides regarding performance, funds, etc. Buzzi finally said, "If you don't like it, send it back, you slanty eyed little bastard"! (or words to that effect). Kitami did. They chain-sawed it into little pieces, and sent it back in a container.

great thread! oso member payton has a super hawaii he just redid. love the blue m-23

Brownie,

Pissing and moaning would be an understatement!!!!!!

Buzzi was/is a great salesman non better, I respect him tremendiously on many fronts.

Story - Kitami loved the Gancia but Buzzi said it wasn't for sale. No money can buy that boat, it was like my daughters. I raised that boat myself, I designed, I built, I built the engines, I, I, I, I - you can't have it. Plus the boat has fallen into dis-repair it needs new engines to be competive, etc, etc, etc - too much work, you can't have it!

At that point Buzzi had tears in his eyes. Kitami - Please, please, please I will take care of it, I will love it, how much, just tell me?

$1 million and my pain will be eased but for all major work she needs to come back to Italy everytime and you need to pay me to do it on top of the million!!

Kitami whips out a check book, writes a check and the refurbishing of Gancia starts!!! This was all in the airport in London while Kitami was tring to board a plane back to JFK.

The stories from SH are endless.

Super 40 Pleasure
 

You guys have a lot of pics of the race hulls.

Nice looking boats for sure but here are a few shots of my 40 with Cummins & ASD-8's playing on Lake Erie.

Gotta love the rooster tail!